Increase in Norwich court case backlog ‘grave concern’ says victims’ commissioner
More serious court cases in Norfolk are waiting for an outcome (Image: Getty Images) More serious court cases in Norfolk are waiting for an outcome amid a record high national backlog, new figures show. Data from the Ministry of Justice shows there were 957 outstanding cases at Norwich Crown Court[1] as of September – up from 870 a year earlier.
Eastern Daily Press: The Victims’ Commissioner Baroness Newlove has expressed concerns over increasing court backlogs
The Victims’ Commissioner Baroness Newlove has expressed concerns over increasing court backlogs (Image: Gov.uk) It is more than double the 445 outstanding cases in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic. The Victims’ Commissioner has expressed “grave concern” at the record high delays with 66,547 outstanding cases in crown courts across England.
Baroness Newlove said the figures were concerning and “no victim should be expected to wait years before their case gets to court”. She called for “urgent and creative intervention” to address the backlog.
Eastern Daily Press: Cases are taking longer at Norwich Crown Court Cases are taking longer at Norwich Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)
On average, cases in Norfolk had been waiting 185 days to be dealt with – with 71 cases unresolved for two years or more.
In September 2019, cases in the area were waiting 70 days, while just six had waits of longer than two years.
The government has previously set a target of reducing the crown court backlog to 53,000 by March 2025.
References
- ^ Norwich Crown Court (www.edp24.co.uk)